Balanced valve



g- 1940- w. F. MESINGER 2,212,210

BALANCED VALVE Original Filed Dec. 30, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 YL 7 g so Lii V3 FIG. 2:,

INVENTOR WILLIAM F. MESINGER Aug. 20, 1940. w. F. MESINGER 2,212,210

BALANCED VALVE Original Filed Dec. 30, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

75 FIG.6.

INVENTOR WILL I AM F MESINGER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 20, 1940 BALANCEDVALVE William F. Mesi nger, Mount Vernon, N. Y., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporat Yorkion, a corporation of New Original application December 30, 1932, SerialNo. 649,485, now Patent No. 2,091,051, dated August 24, 1937. Dividedand this application January 7, 1937, Serial No. 119,473

6 Claims.

.This invention relates to the balancing of valves in control of theflow of fluid through a passage and more particularly to the use of suchbalanced valves in fluid pressure regulators for maintaining thedischarge pressure of fluid passing through such regulators uniform.

In regulators of this character, there has heretofore been provided acasing with a passage therethrough divided into inlet and outletportions in which the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet portionis under control of a valve operated automatically bypressure-responsive means, as a diaphragm, under influence of changes inpressure on the outlet side of the valve and suitably connected with thevalve so as to vary its position with respect to its seat in accordancewith the changes in fluid pressure in the outlet portion of the passage.in normal operation of the apparatus, such a construction gives quitesatisfactory results but when variations occur in head pressure on theintake side of the valve above or below a normal range for which theapparatus is adapted, it seriously afiects the regulatory operations ofthe valve un-- der influence of discharge pressure so as to causeobjectionably. wide variations in the discharge pressure ,from that forwhich the pressure-responsive means is adjusted.

An important object of the invention, therefore, is to provide, inregulator apparatus of the above character having a valve operable underinfluence of pressure changes on the outlet side thereof for maintainingthe discharge pressure of the apparatus; uniform, improved, meanswhereby. the valve in its regulatory movements, will be, renderedunresponsive-to pressure changes on the inlet side thereof. 9 v

, In accordance with this invention, regulator apparatus of the abovecharacter embodying the principles; of v the invention may. include. a,valve controlled under normal-operation by means,

responsiye'to changes inv pressure in the. passage, ion, thefoutletsideof the ,valve: and a pressure responsive member in the passage onthe inletsideof the valve which is operable under the influence ofpressure changes and so constructed and .so connected with the valvethat the 'eflects ofchanges in head pressure on the valve and on thepressure responsive member will counterbalanceyeach other andnullify theinfluence of such head pressure upon "the normal operation ofthe-"valveunder control of pressure changes in' the outlet portion of the passage;the pressure responsive member being preferably contractible andexpansible under influence of pressure changes.

' The above and other objects and the novel features of the inventionwill be made apparent from the following specifications taken inconnection withthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectionalview of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of an L apparatus similar to thatshown in Fig. 1 and showing a diaphragm substituted for thebellows; andI Fig. 3 is a sectional view of another form of the apparatus showingthe interior of the bellows I in communication with the outlet portionof the passage through the apparatus according to the invention. 2

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.649,485 flled Decem-, ber 30, 1932, now United States Patent No.

2,091,051, granted Aug. 24, 1937, and which relates to a regulatorstructure wherein the compensating pressure responsive contractiblemeans is directly connected with the valve.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1

of the drawings is particularly adapted for use with as de'scribedin thepatent abovereferred to, and at the'same' tiinej maintain the desireddegree of elastic responsivenessof the bellows to pressure changes.Thebellows 'inthe present apparatus is therforepreferably connected withthe valve v fthrough powerchange mechanism which, in the presentapparatus, is in: the nature of abell crank lever L pivotally supportedin the inlet chamber I'of the casing A 'andhaving a short arm 'I0pivotally connected with the bellows" 00 and a long'arm' 'il operativelyconnected to a stem 12 upon which a valve V is carried and with which itis preferably formed integral.

The effective area of bellows 60 is considerably greater than. that'ofthe valve V, as shown, and the relationship of the effective areathereof to that of thevalve and the relative lengths of the lever armsto each other may be deter mined according to well-known physical lawsso that the moment-of force on, the effective surface area of thebellows within the inlet chamber will be exactly equal to and exactlycounteract that exerted on the valve thereby leaving the valve free tooperate according to the normal design of the apparatus under influenceof pressure changes in the diaphragm chamber E from apredeterminednormal as exerted on the valve through the diaphragm D which ispositioned to seal the upper side of the diaphragm chamber E andconnected to the valve through a portion of thcstem 12 that projectsabove the valve. In other words, the ratio of the lever arms may beselected to correspond inversely to and compensate for a given ratio ofeffective bellows area to effective valve area.

The bellows 88 is preferably arranged at right angles to the directionof movement of the valve V which closes with the inlet pressure andwithin the bore of the inlet chamber I which is provided with a highpressure gas inlet connection Ill. The bellows is connected in agas-tight manner at its opposite ends respectively toan annularsupporting disc '73 and a head plug is, the former being held against ashoulder 13a at the end of the bore by the closure cap 15 which is, inthis form of the invention, centrally apertured at it to expose theinterior of the bellows to atmospheric pressure; the head plug 14 beingpivotally connected to the end of the short lever arm '18 by a screw I1.The valve stem 12 is arranged in a passage 83 between the inlet chamberI and the diaphragm chamber E and extends upwardly through thediaphragm- D to which it is clamped by means of plates I8 and 19; thelower plate resting on a collar formed on the stem between which and anut 8| the plates are clamped against opposite s des of the diaphragm. Ayieldable pressure means 82 is provided on the upper side of thediaphragm. The yieldable pressure means 82 is preferably of suchcharacter that its force value will change relatively very little withthe normal regulatory movement of the valve when the force on the valvedue to inlet pressure .is exactly balanced. When a coiled spring isused, as shown in the drawings, it is desirable thatthe efiective arearesult-ant force values should differ by an amount sufficient to cause achange in relative force therebetween sufiicientto compensate forchanges in force of the spring due to movement of the valve. The lowerend of spring 82 bears on plate 18 and is held under compression bymeans of a plug 84 which serves with the spring to regulate theresponsiveness of the diaphragm to pressure in the outlet chamber E andto adjust the normal position of the valve. Ari outlet passage leadsfrom the passage 83 to the outlet port I! in which is connected adistributing conduit 86. The valve seat 81 is held in place by a ringnut 88 and is seated in a counterbore at the lower end of passage 83.

The lever arrangement, as disclosed in Fig. 1, permits substitution of adiaphragm for the bellows. Since diaphragms are adaptable to a widerrange of pressures than the bellows constructions that are feasible forregulator purposes, the larger forces operating on a diaphragm may betherefore balanced against the forces on the' valve through the leverconnection. The diaphragm being connected to the shorter arm of thelever, its movement is much reduced compared to the normal travel of thevalve. Such an arrange-' ment isshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings in whichthe compensating diaphragm 89 is shown in place transverse play so thatstraight line motion of the stem may be translated into rotary motion ofthe lever.

When it is desired to more exactly balance out the variations in headpressure on the valve, the portion of the inlet chamber I on theopposite side of the partition formed by the bellows 60 and thesupporting disc 13 from that in which the valve is located may be placedin communication with the outlet passage 85 as shown in Fig. 3. Theapparatus as illustrated in this figure, shows the bellows 58 mounted asin Fig. 2 with its open end in communication with the portion of chamherI to the left of the bellows supporting disc 73, which portion isconnected with the outlet passage 85 by a cross passage 9!. In this formof the invention the supporting disc 13 is held in place against theshoulder 13a by a ring screw 13b and the vent l6 of Figs. 3 and 4 isomitted. By this arrangement the ratio of pressures acting on the inletand outlet sides of the valve V are always equal to the ratio ofpressures acting on the outside and inside of the bellows.

The lever L may also be arranged within the outlet chamber E so as toconnect the stem 12 on the outlet side of the valve V with the lowpressure side of the movable head of the bellows or diaphragm that formsthe separating partition between the chambers I and E.

I claim:

1. In pressure regulating apparatus, the combination comprising a casinghaving a passage therethrough divided into inlet and outlet portions;valve means opening against inlet pressure controlling the flow of fluidfrom the inlet to the outlet portion under influence of pressure in theoutlet portion; means of yieldably holding the valve in suspension inthe passage; and a resilient collapsible sleeve in the inlet portionconnected to the valve and secured to a support for acting tocounterbalance the eifect of variations of pressure on the valve from apredetermined normal on the inlet side thereof; the interior of thesleeve being subject to the pressure inlet pressure from causing anyvariation in the operation of the valve from that normal under influenceof pressure in the outlet portion of the passage; said sleeve beingconnected to the valve through lever means pivoted in the inlet portion.

3. A pressure regulating device comprising .a casing having a passagetherethrough; a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through thepassage from the inlet to the outlet sides thereof and closing withinlet pressure; means directly connected with saldvalve for operatingsaid valve in response to pressure changes in the outlet side of thepassage; and means for counteracting the eifect of changes of inletpressure upon the operation' of said valve including resilient pressureresponsive means exposed to the inlet pressure connected with the valvethrough force changing means so proportioned that the force exerted onthe valve resulting from inlet pressure is substantially balanced by theforce exerted by said pressure on said last mentioned pressureresponsive means.

4. A pressure regulating device comprising a casing having a passagetherethrough; a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through thepassage from the inlet to the outlet sides thereof and closing withinletpressure; means for operating said valve in response to pressurechanges in the outlet side of the passage including a spring acting toopen said valve with a force that diminishes as the valve opens; andmeans for counteracting the efiect of changes of inlet pressure upon theoperation of the valve including a resilient contractile sleeve havingan effective area different than that of said valve exposed to inletpressure and having its movable end connected with the valve throughforce changing meansso proportioned that the force exerted on the valveby inlet pressure is substantially balanced by the force exerted by thesame pressure on the sleeve.

5. Apressure regulating device comprising a casing having a passagetherethroughja valve for controlling the flow of fluid through thepassage from the inlet to the outlet sides thereof and closing withinlet pressure; means for operating said valve in response to pressurechanges in the outlet side of the passage including a spring acting toopen said valve with a force that diminishes as the valve opens; andmeans for counteracting the effect of changes of inlet pressure upon thechanges in the inlet pressure. WILLIAM "peration of the valve includinga resilient contractile sleeve having an effective area larger than thatof said valve exposed to inlet pressure and having its movable endconnected with the valve through a lever whose arms are so proportionedthat the product of the effective area on which inlet pressureacts onthe valve and the length of the lever arm connected thereto issubstantially equal to the product of the corresponding effective areaof the sleeve and its lever arm.

6. A pressure regulating device comprising a casing having a passagetherethrough; a valve for controlling the flow of. fluid through thepassage from the inlet to the outlet sides thereof andclosing with inletpressure; means directly connected with said valve for operating saidvalve in response to pressure changes in the outlet side of the passage;and means for counteracting the effect of changes of inlet pressure uponthe operation of said valve, said means comprising a' pressureresponsive device having an effective area'exposed to the inlet pressureand arranged to exert a force which varies in response to changes in theinlet, pressure, said area being substantially larger than the effectivearea of said valve, and pivoted lever means connected between themovable portion of said pressure responsive de-'- vice and saidvalve,.the-lever arms being so proportioned that the force of inletpressure acting on the effective area of said valve is balanced by thelarger force exerted by said pressure responsive device, whereby theoutlet pressure remains substantially constant irrespective of F'. mom35

